1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the art of beltings and to methods of manufacture of beltings. More particularly, the present invention relates to a belting having over a majority of its width synthetic polymeric weft or fill yarns that are associated with warp yarns of a natural fiber.
The belting of the present invention begins as a cloth having a broad width. Then a cutting means is used to cut the cloth in the longitudinal direction. In one embodiment, the cutting means itself further serves to fuse the severed weft yarns. The molten polymeric material comprising the weft yarns then flows over and around the adjacent wrap yarns and provides a sealed lateral edge to the thusly manufactured belting by fusing the warps and weft yarns together. Alternatively, a separate melting means is provided to perform the fusing function after the cloth has been cut to the desired width.
It is further contemplated by the present invention that the broad width cloth can be provided with a relatively small width cutting band extending in the longitudinal direction and having both synthetic polymeric warp and weft yarns. In that respect, meltable yarns are substituted for the natural warp fibers along a portion of the broad width cloth to form the cutting band that is cut and melted to fuse both the warp and weft yarns together and thereby provide a fused lateral edge to the resulting belting.
2. Prior Art
Natural fiber beltings such as cotton beltings and the like are typically manufactured of 100% cotton, generally made to width having a "tucked" or woven lateral edge. The tucked edge eliminates or retards unravelling at the lateral edge during the belting's useful life. However, weaving or knitting a tucked edge is a time consuming and costly step. Further, a belting made entirely of cotton often needs to have its width tailored for a specific application. The belting of the present invention overcomes these shortcomings inherent in manufacturing conventional natural fiber beltings while maintaining the "soft" feel characteristics of this type of belting as well as maintaining edge integrity.